Sci‑Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film/TV News Round‑up (October 2025).

October 2025 is another good month for genre film lovers – a bonfire-night of blockbusters, streaming gambits, sequels that refuse to die, and the odd off-beat gem. Here’s your semi-sober rundown delivered with the level of maturity one expects from SFcrowsnest – none at all. Grab a cuppa (or a brandy if the clowns scare you) and let’s make merry with what’s coming to screens this month.

Films

Tron: Ares — AI goes walkabout (10 Oct).

Disney’s long-gestating return to the digital grid finally boots up with Tron: Ares. Jared Leto stars as Ares, a program sent into our world for “first contact” with humanity. Greta Lee, Gillian Anderson, Evan Peters and Jeff Bridges round out the cast. Nine Inch Nails supply the soundtrack to match the retina-searing neon.

Frankenstein — Guillermo del Toro brings the monster to life (17 Oct limited; 7 Nov Netflix).

Guillermo del Toro’s lavish take on Mary Shelley’s classic arrives just in time for spooky season. Oscar Isaac plays the doctor, Jacob Elordi is the towering creation, with Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz in support. Expect dripping castles, a swooning score and the eternal question: who’s the real monster? (Spoiler: usually the man.)

Bugonia — Yorgos Lanthimos gets conspiratorial (24 Oct limited; 31 Oct wide).

Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons play conspiracy obsessives who kidnap a CEO they think is an alien in disguise. Alicia Silverstone co-stars in this remake of a 2003 Korean black comedy. Weird, witty, and probably a bit sticky.

More cinematic chills

• The Black Phone 2 (17 Oct) – Ethan Hawke’s Grabber returns in a snow-bound sequel. If the basement phone rings, don’t answer. Move house.
• Chain Reactions, Bone Lake, Coyotes, Vicious and Shelby Oaks – from doomed getaways to found-footage frights. There’s even a Deathstalker remake for the 80s fantasy nostalgics.
• Predator: Badlands (trailers now; film in early Nov) – our favourite dreadlocked trophy hunter goes frontier. Saddle up and mind the mandibles.

Television & Streaming

Solar Opposites — final season (13 Oct, Hulu)

The foul-mouthed aliens return for their sixth and final outing, promising closure for the Wall saga and a crash course in frugality after the diamond-machine goes bang. Binge responsibly.

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch — streaming stealth (14 Oct, Netflix)

Tom Clancy’s spy caper goes animated. John Wick’s Derek Kolstad produces; Liev Schreiber voices veteran operative Sam Fisher. Leaner on stealth, heavier on car chases, with brisk 22-minute missions. Night-vision goggles optional.

Ghosts (US) — Season 5 (16 Oct, CBS)

More undead shenanigans at the haunted B&B as the American remake heads into its final haunting. Expect bickering spirits, baffled guests, and jokes about colonial plumbing.

Talamasca: The Secret Order (26 Oct, AMC/AMC+)

Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe expands with a six-episode series about the secret society keeping tabs on witches, vampires and other beasties. Think The X-Files, but with nicer coats and more blood.

It: Welcome to Derry (26 Oct, Max)

Nine-episode prequel from Andy and Barbara Muschietti exploring Pennywise’s origins in Cold War-era Maine. More balloons than a budget party shop. Clown phobics, look away now.

Star Wars: Visions — Volume 3 (29 Oct, Disney+)

Nine new non-canon shorts from global animation studios. Experimental, inventive, and often surprisingly emotional. Lightsabers, tears, the lot.

Twisted Wonderland (29 Oct, Disney+)

Anime based on the hit mobile game: an academy where each dorm nods to a Disney villain. Alice-meets-Hogwarts vibes with sumptuous animation.

The Witcher — Season 4 (30 Oct, Netflix)

Liam Hemsworth takes the white wig from Henry Cavill as Geralt. Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri are scattered across war-torn lands; Laurence Fishburne joins as the mysterious Regis. All episodes drop at once: cue instant recast discourse.

More small-screen mischief

• Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake (23 Oct, Max) – gender-swapped heroes, talking cats, maximum whimsy.
• FearFest (AMC) – classics all month, plus folk-thriller The Red King and Greg Nicotero’s FX competition Guts & Glory.

Oddities & Extras

• She Loved Blossoms More – Greek indie about brothers who build a time machine to bring back mum. Bring tissues and a physics textbook.
• Peas and Carrots – a musical sci-fi romp where everyone can only say “peas and carrots.” Dialogue lighter than a sandworm on a diet.
• Good Boy and Queens of the Dead – domesticated werewolves and drag queens versus zombies. Frankly, sold.

Closing thoughts

Whether you fancy neon cyber-punk, gothic monsters, UFO conspiracies or clowns that would give Ronald McDonald night terrors, October 2025 has you covered. Watch them all – preferably in the dark, with the lights flickering, and something tentacled just outside your peripheral vision.